The present disclosure relates generally to turbine engine support structures and more specifically to a low thermal mass support joint for the same.
Gas turbine engines for aircraft include multiple turbine engine sections that operate cooperatively to generate thrust and propel the aircraft forward. The turbine engine sections are maintained in position by a turbine engine superstructure including a diffuser case. In typical examples, the diffuser case is connected to multiple engine components at a single joint via a flange and fastener arrangement.
Some sections of the turbine engine, such as a turbine on-board injector (TOBI) system, run extremely hot during operation. When one component of a joint is very hot, relative to the temperature at the joint, the large thermal mass of the joint causes significant amounts of heat cycling in the arm connecting the hotter component to the joint. The heat cycling in turn weakens the material of the arm, thereby shortening the effective lifespan of the joint.
Some existing engines address this by isolating the component joints and ensuring that at any given joint, only two components are joined to each other. This in turn reduces the thermal mass of the joint and improves the heat cycling at the joint. Some engines, include strict size limitations. In such engines it is difficult to isolate the joints from each other, resulting in joints having a large thermal mass.